Sunday, February 19, 2012

Silly me. When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I used to blow right through Sandy on my way up to Mt. Hood. That is until one trip my ski buddy asked, “Do you mind if we stop at Joe’s Donuts?” I could tell by her polite-yet-firm tone that this was a rhetorical question, and that stopping at Joe’s was definitely on the agenda.

Since that day, it’s rare that I drive through Sandy without hitting this scruffy red-and-white checkerboard shop. On winter weekend mornings, there’s often a line of skiers and snowboarders out the door. However, the line moves quickly, and you can be back on your way in about 15 minutes.

Ok, so what is it about these goodies that make people hell-bent on hitting the slopes actually pull over? I’m not quite sure, but I’ll offer this: Joe’s Donuts has taken straightforward favorites like maple bars, old-fashioneds, and apple fritters to the next level. Their versions of these classics do seem lighter and more flavorful. Even the icing is tastier. All this adds up to a superior donut-eating experience. The folks at Joe's sum it up best on their website, where they refer to themselves as a “nationally acclaimed donut paradise.”

Funny, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to put the word “donut” and “paradise” in the same sentence. But in this case, it seems to work.